Ore-concentrating launder.



P. R. STANHOPE.

' 03E coNcBNTRATmG LAUNDBR. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 12, 1911.

wila/Lew en s@ coLUMBxA PLANOGRAPH 1:0,WASHINGTON D c PHILIP R.STANHOPE, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

ORE-CONCENTBATING LAUNDER. ff i I i Specicaton of .Letters Patent.

Patented June 11, 1912.

Application led August 1 2, 17911. Serial No. 643,743.

To allv whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PHILIP R. STANHOPE, a citizen of the United Statesof America, residing in the city and county ofDenver and State ofColo-rado, have invented anew and useful @re-Concentrating Launder, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in ore concentrating launders, andthe objects of my invention are: first, to provide a V- shaped launderhaving a hydraulic ore agitating and mineral concentrates collectingmechanism, and second, to provide an ore concentrating launder that isprovided with an adjustable means of catching 4floating' slime mineral,and a hydraulic and also a mechanical ore pulp agitating and separatingand a riffling mechanism. I attain these objects by the mechanismillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an end view of the machine. Fig. 2 is a side view of thefeed end of the machine. Fig, 3 is a plan view of the portion of thelaunder shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view of thelaunder showing a slimes catching device connected therewith, and Fig. 5is an enlarged sec- Y tional view of the jet separator, a portion of thelaunder being shown.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the severalviews.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a V-shaped launderhaving its feed end 2 closed by a boarding 3. A chute 41- is arranged todischarge ore pulp from a stamp or other o-re crushing mill, or from anore grinding mill, into the feed end portion 'of the launder. A strip ofwood 5, is secured iatwise valong the bottom of the head end portion ofthe launder for a short distance, in order, to form a connecting supportfor one end of a vertical pipe-nipple 6, which is extended up through anaperture formed in the angular'bottom edge of the launder, into anaperture formed in the strip 5, to receive it. A Y pipe fitting 7 issecured to the lower end of this nipple, withits adjacent pair ofapertures depending from the nipple, and a valve stem 8, is threaded tothe vertical entrance to the Y, which extends through the Y and thenipple tojits upper end, where it is provided with an inverted conicalhead 9, that forms a valve, and the top edgeV of the nipplepis providedVwith a beveled edge opposite to the bevel of thevalve, and the spacebetween the end of the nipple `and around thek sides of the valve formsan entrance passage for the settled mineral particles, which work downinto the body of the nipple, into and through the passage into the otherportion of the Y fitting, andv out through a discharge pipe 12, that isthreaded to its end, through which it flows and discharges to a storagebin, which I do not illustrate.

This valve stem can be moved up or down by turning it in its thread inthe end of the Y, to increase or decrease the size of the mineral inletinto the pipe nipple. This valve I term a water jet regulating valve.The opposite end of the valve stem is threaded, and a hand wheel valve13, is threadedly connected to it, A nipple 14, is connected to theopposite end of the hand wheel valve, and a hose 15 is connected to thenipple. This hoseis adapted to extend to a supply of clear water underpressure, which, when the hand wheelvalve is open, flows through thestem into the bottom of the launder, as will be explained more fullyhereafter.

From the end of the strip 5, the bottom of the launder is V-shaped, andextends in this V-shaped form throughout the rest of the length of thelaunder, which may be of any predetermined length, and in its oppositesides close to its bottom rows of nails, 17, are driven into it aportion of the length of the nails, leaving the remainder of the nailsprojectingv from the insides of the trough. These nails form riflies,and they are placedto stand out the sameA distance from the wood and arepreferably arranged so that they intermesh with each other, but areseparated from each other by a small space, being preferably set aboutone inch apart, in each row. Consequently the spaces between the headends of the nails would y apron 19, that extends from the bottom edge ofthe Vlaunder at such a downward angle as will permit the concentrates towash across the apron. This apron preferabl consists of a board thatforms a continuation" of the board that forms the opposite side of thelaunder from these outlets, and it is preferably covered at and adjacentto the outlet apertures 18, with a piece ofsheet iron 19A.

In the construction shown in Fig. 4, the plate 19A is dispensed with,and the opposite sides of the trough are provided with rabbetedlongitudinal apertures 19B and 19D, respectively, and glass and steelplates 19C and 19E, respectively, are secured therein. If desired, thisplate may be glass on both sides, or if preferred, it may be a glassplate on one 'side and a steel plate on the other. These plates may besecured in these apertures by any suitable means. If glass is used, itwill enable the action of the jets to be watched and adjusted, ifdesired, by the operator.

The object of using a steel plate is to obtain a material there hardenough to withstand the wear of the outward flowing mineral particlesthrough' the discharge apertures. Water jet discharging nozzles 20, areplaced on the apron, and are arranged to deliver jets of water up intothe apertures 18, preferably slightly upward against the stream of orepulp flowing through the launder. These nozzles 20 are connected tolengths of hose 21, that lead to a supply of water under pressure, andtheir water discharging ends are preferably flattened to deliver a flatstream. These nozzles and the hose foreach may be secured in operativerelation to the discharge apertures of the launder by any suitablemeans. I preferably, however, support each by a bracket 22, which isshown broken away in Fig. 2, one end of which is secured to the adjacentside of thevlaunder, and the opposite end is provided with a clamp 23,that is secured to the hose 21. These concentrates discharging aperturesare provided with gates 24, by which they may be adjustably opened or beclosed when desired. These gates may be of any suitable form,preferably, however, I use a plat-e, which is pivotally secured by abolt 26 at one corner to the adjacent side of the launder, and which isadapted to be swung up and down to open or close the apertures'asdesired.

My improved ore concentrating launder isV adapted to be suspended at itsopposite ends by rods 32 from timber frames 33, which are placed at itsopposite ends, the rods 32 being connected at one of their ends to eyebolts .34, that are secured to the inside of the timbers, and also toeye bolts 34A at their opposite ends that are attached to the tops iofthe opposite sides of the launder. The head end ofthe launder -is alsoprovided with a bumping mechanism, which is adapted to impartintermittent reciprocating blows against the end of the launder, thatact to quickly settle the mineral par.- ticles out of the ore pulp tothe bottom of the launder. This bumping mechanism comprises averticalframe 36, that is pivotally supported at itslower end to floor sills 37,

kby a bolt 38, and at its upper end is provided witha hammer or bumpinghead 39,

of metal or other suitable material, which is arranged to strike againsta buer plate 40, of metal or other suitable material, which is securedto the end of the launder.

rIhe bumper head is actuated on the backward stroke of its reciprocalmovement by a cam 41, which is vmounted on a shaft 42, that extendsacross the end of the launder supporting frame 33, and is mounted inbearings 43, that are secured tothe frame 33. The cam rotates against aplate 43A, that is secured to the frame 36. A pulley 44, is secured onthe shaft, and is adapted to be connected by belt to a source ofrotative power, by which the shaft and cam. are rotated, to move thebumper frame and bumper on its backward stroke, and the bumper frame andbumper yare thrown forward to strike or bump against the launder by acontracting tension spring 45, which is preferably a coiled spring. Thisspring is con` nected at one end to the bumper frame intermediate of itscam engaging part and its pivoted end, by a pin 46, that extends throughthe bumper frame 36, and its opposite end is secured to the end of abracket 47, that is secured to the frame.

The launder is provided at intervals along its length with slimescatching devices, which consist of pieces of carpet or other suitablefabric 48, which are arranged to depend from a rod 49, that isvertically adjustable in brackets 50, tha-tare secured to the oppositesides of the inside of the launder (see Fig. 4). The brackets areprovided with several' open-sided apertures 51, which are arranged toregister opposite to each other and the rod is vertically adjustable inthem by being moved from one op posite pair of apertures to anotheropposite pair of apertures in the brackets. The carpet is arranged todepend into the ore pulp, and as the ore pulp flows along the launderthe floating material called slimes flows in contact with the carpet andis caught and retained by it, and as this floating slimes materialcarries values, it is caught and saved by the carpets. The carpets areremoved from time to time, and thrown into tanks of'water, which I donot illustrate.

The operation of my improved ore concentrating launder is as follows:Ore pulp is fed from a source of supply into the launder through the orechute 4, and flows in a continuous stream through the launder and out'ofits rear end, which is open and allows the tailings to run to waste, orthey may berun into another similar launder for retreatment, and thenrun to Y, waste. As

the ore pulp flows through the launder, the

-mineral particles therein settle down into l j cles from the bottom ofthe launder and allows the lighter gangue particles among the mineralparticles to be separated from the mineral particles and carried oi'with the flowing ore pulp, while the clean min-- eral particles settledown as concentrates and flow out of the discharge aperture around thejet valve 9, and through gated apertures 18 in the bottom of thelaunder. The remaining part of the ore pulp, which is called tailings,discharges from the open discharge end of the launder;

While I have illustrated my improved launder with two differentarrangements of ore concentrates discharging apertures and water jetinlet nozles, I do not wish to be limited to the constructions andarrangements shown, as my invention contemplates the application to alaunder oi' any suitable ore concentrates discharging outlets and waterinlet nozzle arranged to produce an upward current of clear water fromthe bottom of the launder into the ore pulp.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

1. In an ore concentrating launder,- the combination in a launder havinga discharge aperture of a pipe fitting, extending into said aperture anddepending from the bottom of said launder, and having an angulardischarge portion below its connection with said launder, said fittingbeing provided with an outwardly flaring vinlet edge, a waterdischarging nozzle within said launder provided with an outwardlybeveled head, threaded to the inside of the outer end portion of saidpipe, said threaded end being arranged to permit its head end portion tobe adjusted toward the iiaring inlet end of said pipe fitting, athreaded outer end to said nozzle, a valve connected to said threadedend, and a hose connected to said valve and arranged to lead to a supplyof water under pressure.

2. The combination with an ore concentrating launder, of riiilesconsisting of rows of nails projecting from opposite sides of theinterior of the launder adjacent to its bottom.

3. The combination with a V-shaped launder, of ritles consist-ing ofrows of nails extending from opposite sides of the interior of thelaunder adjacent to its bottom, the rows on one side being arranged tooverlap those on the other side.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PHILIP R. STANHOPE.

Witnesses:

G. SARGENT ELLIOTT, ADELLA M. FowLE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C.

